The hugely popular anime "Yo-kai Watch" is a story that depicts the relationship between humans and yokai, and is hugely popular with children. Have you heard of Whisper, a character from "Yo-kai Watch"? He's by the side of the main character, Keita, and calls himself "Yo-kai butler." However, it's said that he actually knows nothing about yokai! In this article, we'll introduce you to the charms of Whisper!
Whisper's Appeal ① Its Unique and Cute Appearance (?)
Whisper has a unique appearance. It's white and fluffy, with a form that makes it look like a ghost! In the show, it's sometimes likened to a "white balloon." However, if you look closely, you'll notice that its head is thin and skinny like a soft-serve ice cream, and there's a black line between its eyes that are far apart... While Jibanyan and Koma-san, the mascot characters of "Yo-kai Watch," have visuals that anyone would think are "cute!", Whisper is a little different. She doesn't seem very cute, and the term "grossly cute" seems to fit... However, Whisper's distinctive visuals are also one of its charms. By the way, when Whisper is made into a stuffed animal, it's so cute that you'll find yourself wanting one.
I've even been mistaken for a soft-serve ice cream!
The mascot character, Koma-san, loves soft-serve ice cream. He couldn't forget the delicious taste of it, so much so that he moved from the countryside to the city. Koma-san once saw the skinny thing on Whisper's head, and because it looked just like a soft-serve ice cream, he couldn't help but eat it! Naturally, it didn't taste very good...
Sometimes it's creepy!
Whisper has something called "Real Mode." He transforms into a human body except for his head, and when this happens, something bad usually happens. This appearance has become a hot topic, as it's extremely creepy. By the way, this form is officially called "Whispergelion," a reference to "Evangelion." It's so disgusting that the character was put on a "Koma-san Taxi" to make him reflect on his actions. It seems that many children disliked it.
Whisper's Charm ② His knowledge of yokai is suspicious!?
Whisper calls himself the "yokai butler" of the protagonist, Keita Amano. He seems to know everything about yokai and is open to anyone who asks him anything, but his knowledge of yokai is actually quite questionable...! When Keita encounters a new yokai, he asks, "Whisper, what yokai is that?" and quickly looks it up on his Yokai Pad.
What is a Yokai Pad?
By the way, this "Yokai Pad" contains all sorts of information about yokai, and Whisper always carries it with her. Because she always swipes her finger frantically while muttering random names, Keita suspects that she "doesn't really know anything about yokai..." Also, even after meeting and becoming friends with yokai, she often forgets their names after not seeing them for a while. Her memory isn't particularly good, but that's part of Whisper's charm and makes her interesting. Watching her frantically look things up is almost enough to make you chuckle.
Actually, this setting was introduced halfway through
Yo-kai Watch is originally a video game. In the original "Yo-kai Watch (Original)," Whisper's personality was different from what it is now. He was truly a "yokai butler," giving the protagonist precise advice in the deep voice of Tomokazu Seki! Although Whisper had a Yokai Watch pad, she never frantically researched them like she does now and always remained calm. She even made statements like, "Even I don't know about more and more yokai," suggesting she was confident in her knowledge of them.
Reimported from the Anime
However, in the anime adaptation, Whisper was hyper, unlike her current state, and her yokai awareness was questionable. As a result, this setting was re-imported into subsequent games, and Whisper's character setting has changed since "Yo-kai Watch Honke" and "Yo-kai Watch Ganso." If you've never played the original game, be sure to check out the promotional video! You'll be amazed at the difference.
Whisper's Charm #3: Was it actually sealed away?
Whisper has a shocking past: he was sealed away for a long time! Long ago, a monk decided that "yokai are evil," and he was falsely confined in a capsule in a Gasha-Gasha machine deep in the mountains for 190 years (!).
How did he meet Keita?
One day, while collecting insects, Keita gets lost deep in the mountains and discovers the Gasha Gasha machine. Whisper then sings to Keita, "I-re-ro-i-re-ro, I-re-ro-i-re-zum-ba." Keita finds it creepy, but does as he's told and puts his money into the gasha-gasha machine. Out comes Whisper, and that's when he and Keita meet. From then on, Whisper becomes Keita's yokai butler. What a surprising fact! While "Yo-kai Watch" is themed around yokai, it tends to have a cute image and not much horror element, but this scene definitely gives you the chills...!
Whisper's charm point 4: Her quick-tempered personality?
As a "yokai butler," Whisper usually uses honorifics and polite language. However, he has a high-energy personality and a relatively low boiling point for anger. He can be foul-mouthed when he loses his temper. Whisper is particularly fond of Jibanyan, who he lives with, and although they usually get along well, when a fight breaks out he will say things like, "You bastard Jibanyan!" "Jibanyan" is pretty impressive, isn't it? Perhaps the occasional glimpse of his foul mouth is also part of Whisper's charm. In the anime, he gets angry and depressed when he isn't invited to a "Yokai Mixer."
Whisper's Charm 5: He served the famous "Ishida Mitsunari"!?
Yokai "Shittakaburi"
Whisper also had a master before Keita. That master is none other than Ishida Mitsunari, the Sengoku period warlord who played an active role in the Battle of Sekigahara! At the time, Whisper was known as the yokai "Shittakaburi," and had the ability to make anyone he possessed ramble on about things that weren't true. After a certain incident, Ishida Mitsunari took a liking to Whisper, also known as "Shittakaburi," and he gained Ishida Mitsunari's trust as his yokai military strategist "Wisbee," and they spent 10 years together. Wisbee's words were all "know-it-alls" and arbitrary, but thanks to Ishida Mitsunari's good luck, things started to go well. Ishida Mitsunari was so indecisive that he was nicknamed "the indecisive lord," and by being possessed by Wisbee, he gradually cleared his name.
The Final Battle
One day, the Battle of Sekigahara took place. Traitors had emerged, and Mitsunari Ishida's army was cornered. At that time, Wisbee, not Whisper, was using his Shittakaburi ability to disrupt the enemy camp. However, Ishida Mitsunari, determined to fight to the end even though he knew he would lose, stepped in to stop him. He then said to Whisper, "Thanks to you, I've had a fun life," and "You taught me that I must move forward rather than waver. You were the light that illuminated my path."
Whisper may usually seem like a joker and unreliable, but in fact, he has a past that goes like this. It seems that many anime viewers were moved by the episode introducing Whisper's past!
Whisper's Charm ⑥: He bows deeply to classic yokai!
As mentioned earlier, Whisper has very little knowledge about yokai. However, there are some yokai that Whisper not only can recite fluently without relying on yokai pads, but also has a great respect for. These are the yokai known as "classic yokai." Among the many yokai out there, classical yokai are considered to be the most senior, so they are referred to as "senpai" and speak in a sporty manner using expressions like "~tsu". Sometimes they are even made to do their errands.
What are classical yokai?
There are many types of "classical yokai," including mermaids, umbrella ghosts, one-eyed boys, long-necked robins, and kappa, the kind of yokai that appear in traditional folk tales. One possible explanation for Whisper's knowledge of classic yokai but lack of knowledge of modern yokai is that he was sealed in a capsule in a Gashapon machine for 190 years, but the veracity of this explanation is unclear.
Whisper's Charm #7: He's a little (or a lot?) annoying!
Whisper's annoying personality is also a defining feature. In the anime, Whisper's annoying tone is often seen when interacting with Keita and Jibanyan. She also has a slightly narcissistic side, and is convinced that she will be ranked highly in the "Top Ten Yokai," a list of the most popular yokai (even though she actually wasn't on the list. She dressed up with all her might and even thought up a greeting...), and she tries to force them into forming a unit just so she can appear on the "Yokai Kouhaku Uta Gassen" (Yokai Red and White Song Battle). Her annoying nature often makes her the subject of jokes, and she's often treated carelessly. However, her positive personality keeps her from getting discouraged. Perhaps this is also part of Whisper's charm.
Whisper's Charm 8: Combine with Jibanyan!?
Whisper can actually combine with Jibanyan! The resulting form is called "Buchinyan." It looks like it's half Whisper and half Jibanyan mixed together, and its catchphrase is "Meow Whisper!", a combination of Whisper's catchphrase "Whisper" and Jibanyan's catchphrase "Nyan". Incidentally, its voice is a combination of the two characters' voices. It's cute, but has a rather indescribable appearance, so it may seem like it doesn't fit in, but it does. (From the Yokai Encyclopedia) However, Jibanyan dislikes it, saying "It's not cute, meow!"
Where did it play an active role?
"Buchinyan" appeared in the film. He was an important character who confronted the enemy. Incidentally, his special move, "Hyakumanbai Kaeshi Paw," is said to be inspired by Naoki Hanzawa. From the game's commercials to the likes of Naoki Hanzawa, Yo-kai Watch is a big fan of the character.
Whisper's Appeal ⑨ Voice Actor: Tomokazu Seki!
When discussing Whisper's appeal, it's essential to mention that his voice actor is Tomokazu Seki! Speaking of Tomokazu Seki, he's a voice actor who's also quite popular with women. He has played a wide range of roles, from funny characters like Whisper to handsome roles. Many, many Whisper fans say they were originally fans of Seki Tomokazu. Whisper is generally a high-energy character, but every once in a while he speaks in a more mellow, handsome voice, and those are the times to pay close attention!
What other works has he appeared in?
In addition to "Yo-kai Watch," he has also played the roles of Suneo Honekawa in "Doraemon," Tomáš Masaryk in "Mobile Suit V Gundam," and Ángel Ángel in "Fate/stay Night." He has played roles such as Gilgamesh in "Yokai Watch: Shadowside." His acting range is truly wide.
Whisper's Charm 10: What will he look like in the future?
"Yo-kai Watch: Shadowside" began as a "new chapter" in April 2018. It's a darker worldview that's hard to imagine from the cute worldview of previous Yo-kai Watch series, and it even contains a bit of horror elements. Shadowside is set 30 years after the events of the Yo-kai Watch anime, and Keita has a child. Whisper also appears in a completely different form as her future self.
Whisper looks like this!
Somehow, perhaps because he's wearing a suit and other gear, he looks more like a "yokai butler." However, he somehow feels less cute and more creepy. Shadowside characters are generally more creepy and less cute. While fans of the previous Whisper series may have mixed feelings, this "slightly scary" appearance is nonetheless appealing and truly yokai-like.
Summary of Whisper's Charms!
That's all about Whisper's charms! Whisper may not be very reliable as a yokai butler, but he is a great comedic character. It's surprising that he served Ishida Mitsunari and was sealed in a capsule in a Gasha Gasha machine for 190 years. We look forward to seeing more of Whisper's exploits in the future!
